Sixers Rumors: Paul Reed, Isaiah Joe on Philly's Trade Block?

With Ben Simmons still in Philadelphia despite requesting a trade back in the summertime, he remains the Sixers' most prominent trade chip ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline, which kicks in on Thursday afternoon.

Outside of the Simmons-related rumors, the Sixers haven't had any players that have become of interest to teams. With the deadline inching closer, though, that's beginning to change.

Recently, two names have been linked to Simmons-centric rumors. One is the third-year defensive standout Matisse Thybulle and the second-year emerging guard, Tyrese Maxey. While Thybulle and Maxey connected with Simmons could help the Sixers move the needle for a star, those two are reportedly untouchable.

However, two other young players were recently brought up. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Sixers' second-year prospects Paul Reed and Isaiah Joe are frequently talked about when it comes to trades.

The Smoke Around Joe & Reed

"As the deadline nears, Philadelphia brass are instead expected to focus on marginal improvements to their roster around MVP front-runner Joel Embiid. Philadelphia has clear needs for supplementary ball-handling and rebounding—two of the largest holes created by Simmons' season-long absence. Paul Reed and Isaiah Joe are the 76ers players most often mentioned as trade candidates by rival executives."

It's unclear if the Sixers are currently shopping Joe and Reed or not. But it sounds like the two promising young prospects are available before Thursday.

Joe, who became Philadelphia's first second-round selection during the 2020 NBA Draft, has been in and out of the Sixers' rotation this season. After a strong Summer League and preseason showing, Joe earned himself some playing time early on.

As Joe's offseason progress didn't translate well into the regular season, he found himself struggling to pick up playing time after the first few weeks of the year. Joe went on a four-game absence after entering the health and safety protocol in early November. When he returned, he registered two-straight DNPs.

He appeared on the court for an average of 11 minutes over the next six games but then didn't see any playing time for three-straight games. Over the last 30 games, Joe has averaged 14 minutes when he played. He put up four points per game during that time while draining 35-percent of his threes.

As for the reigning G League MVP Paul Reed, he's seen much less playing time than Joe. This season, Reed appeared on the court for 21 games. Most of his playing time came when the Sixers were extremely shorthanded due to COVID-19-related setbacks.

Reed has averaged two points and two rebounds in roughly eight minutes when playing with the Sixers. Since he's behind key veterans such as Tobias Harris, Georges Niang, Joel Embiid, and Andre Drummond, Reed has spent a lot of his time with Philadelphia's G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats lately.

It's unclear how much interest Joe and Reed are generating from other teams around the league, but it seems the Sixers are willing to include them in packages if the return is right for them.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.